A Little Piece of Home for Troops Overseas

In Loving Memory of Bandit

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- This is a time of year when many of us pause and take a moment to remember the soldiers; the men and women who have so bravely dedicated their lives to protecting our great country. We send them cards and care packages and most important, we send our prayers for their safe return.

Well, one group of soldiers received a care package of a different kind this past year. The Alpha Marine Company, along with a group of civilian workers serving in Western Afghanistan, were fortunate enough to find and adopt a stray dog named Bandit.

Bandit's story began when William Sloan was on patrol and discovered a dog wondering the streets. The dog was underweight and flea bitten with a coat that was severely matted; he was barely 10 weeks old. If that was not bad enough, his tail and ears had been cut off.

A dog’s primary use in Afghanistan is for protection and or fighting. Since Bandit was not a mean dog or tough enough to be a fighting dog, he was cast out to the streets to die.

Bandit took an instant liking to Bill and began to follow him on patrol. It didn't take long before it became evident that Bandit wanted and needed Bill to be his friend. What Bandit didn't know was that Bill and The Alpha Marine Company needed him too. So Bill took a tired and hungry Bandit back to the FBO (Forward Base Operation) where he greeted the others lovingly.

Happy to have found his new family, 3 month old Bandit kept pace with the men all day into the early evening when the pup would begin to yawn, letting everyone know he was ready to sleep.

Realizing something was not right with Bandit, the men soon discovered he had the Parvovirus (Parvo), a serious viral disease found in dogs. Fortunately, one of the medics' wives works with a Vet in the U.S., so they set up a communication connection and worked together to come up with human antibiotics that would treat his Parvo. After a long 48 hours, a grateful Bandit was back on his feet.

Once again, full of fun loving energy, Bandit's bond with men of the Alpha Marine Company grew stronger each day. His unending love and dedication to these men was obvious to everyone around them. When they walked, he would walk; when they stopped, he would stop and sit next to them.

Still a fun-loving puppy though, Bandit loved to chase the chickens in town, nip at the heels of those that walked by without stopping to visit with him, and steal socks while the soldiers looked on.

In early November, while on patrol with the men of Alpha Marine Company, Bandit wondered off into an area of hidden IED’s (Improvised Explosive Device), a “homemade” explosive device that is designed to cause injury or death.

Once the men secured the location, Bandit was recovered and three Medics worked to save him. At first glance, they thought Bandit would be okay, but they soon discovered he had a perforated bowel and they were unable to do anything more for him. On Monday, November 9, 2009, Bandit passed away.

While it is always sad when someone loses a pet, for the men of the Alpha Marine Company, losing Bandit meant something much more. These men were not just losing their pet, they were losing a little piece of home; their link to a world outside all the hate and fear and war. Here are a comments from the Marines who knew and loved Bandit:

"After a long mission it was nice to pet and see Bandit, it meant innocence."

"A happy face in a sea of war."

"Four days on patrol with everyone hating you, it was great to see a smiling face greet me."

"When I'd pet him, for 30 seconds I was back home in the U.S."

"When I played with him, I could imagine seeing my little girl."

Bandit was a more than just a friend to these soldiers, in his own way, Bandit was a hero and he will be greatly missed!

A tree honoring Bandit was donated and decorated for the holidays by members of The Woodlands Dog Park Club. It was decorated with pictures of Bandit, and homemade dog bones that were donated by a local vendor.

To view the video made in honor of Bandit, please visit the link below.

The Woodlands Dog Park Club is also offering Holiday Gift Wrapping from now thru December 24th at Market Street.

- Saturday, Dec. 19, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.- Sunday, Dec. 20, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.- Monday, Dec. 21- Wednesday, Dec. 23, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.- Thursday, Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.